This invention relates to structural assemblies for building or other architectural constructions and is particularly concerned with such assemblies erected to form an enclosing wall or surface, whether planar or not, said wall or surface comprising a frame structure defining a plurality of cells and having an infill of panes (i.e. transparent or translucent sheets) and/or panels mounted in the cells.
Structural assemblies of this kind may be used for such purposes as curtain walls, i.e. external walls of a building that are not required to support the building, or for internal partitions, the infill panes or panels being used to give an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Although not load-bearing, these structures must be made in such a way as to be weathertight, in particular resisting the entry of wind-driven rain. Thus, substantial glazing bars extend round the edges of the panes or panels to hold sealing gaskets firmly against the panes or panels, these bars being a prominent feature of the exterior of the structure and thereby dictating to a considerable extent the appearance of the structure. It is possible, of course, to use larger area panes or panels to reduce the visual impact of the glazing bars but this also limits the decorative effects that may be obtained as well as making the structure more difficult to erect because of the cumbersome and often fragile nature of the panes or panels.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a form of structural assembly of the kind referred to in which large external glazing bars are not necessary, whereby the external appearance of the structure need not be dictated by the presence of such bars, while avoiding the need for extremely large panes or panels, yet nevertheless providing means for weather-tightness at the junctions between adjacent panes or panels.